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Digital technologies that create innovation have the capacity to leverage economic development. The integration of digital technologies in daily operations has become a key success factor in sustainable development, market positioning, and advancement. This is particulary challenging for female companies in developing countries, which face numerous biases on their entrepreneurial path, including in innovation. This specific group of entrepreneurs faces additional barriers in implementing digital technologies and digital transformation, which are considered part of their innovation capacity. However, some companies perform well according to financial parameters, regardless of the level of digitization and innovation potential. This research paper explores the correlation between financial performance and the innovative implementation of digital technologies. The main assumption in this research is that companies that do not use digital technologies to innovate can not expect to improve their financial performance. We focus on the impact of digital technology on the financial performance of female companies. We also consider the indirect impact of digital technology use on financial performance, with product innovation as the mediator variable. The sample consists of 46 female companies. The results of the analysis confirm the hypotheses that digital technology has no direct influence on financial performance, and that product innovation mediates the relationship between digital technology and financial performance.

Our assumption and the first hypothesis of the research is that prior development of the science and technology system in former Yugoslavia had a major impact on the current status of the national innovation systems of countries which are former Yugoslav republics. The second hypothesis, which we elaborated in this paper, is that the science system in former Yugoslavia was strongly influenced by the sociopolitical and economic framework. With these aims, we analysed and presented four characteristic periods of the Yugoslav science and technology system after the Second World War. In conclusions we emphasized the key inherited practices and repercussions on the management of research and innovation systems in former Yugoslav countries, which can be grouped around five main issues.

Based on the available literature on theory of innovation and the data processed from the official research on innovation activities in Serbian firms, this paper shows different perspectives of usage of the innovation activities indicators. The results showed that firms involved in software sector are more innovative than firms in agrofood sector. On the basis of the research conducted in this paper, it is possible to draw conclusions which are significant to the management of enterprises in observed industries. According to these recommendations, innovative enterprises management could respond to problematic situation of business economy in the field of innovation management through adequate business strategies. Besides that, empirical research in innovative activities in Serbia in the two observed sectors yield a serious analytic framework to guide industrial policy and employ appropriate measures in order to improve national competitiveness based on knowledge.

The research presented in this paper shows that for successful development of the innovative enterprises in Serbia, collaboration with all innovation stakeholders is needed. It points out the importance of effective technology transfer as a factor of economic and technological development in Serbia. Based on data of empirical research on innovation activities in enterprises in Serbia in the period 2008-2010, conducted by the Republic Statistical Office, the usage of the various sources of information for innovation is explored. Some innovation infrastructure forms in Serbia are presented as tools with function of research results commercialization. The Enterprise Europe Network is listed as an international incentive mechanism for technology transfer in Serbia.

The paper presents the scientific publication productivity, registered in Web of Science (WoS) databases in two fields of science, Mathematics and Physics, for authors from countries of South East Europe (SEE).Using Revealed Publication Advantage (RPA) indicator calculated for SEE countries, policy makers could get insight into the scientific publication productivity of SEE countries, in these two scientific fields, compared with the world average. The scientific output in Mathematics and Physics from the SEE region represents majority of the overall scientific output in every particular country in this region. The scientific output in Mathematics and Physics from the SEE region is comparable with those of other research groups in the world. When analysing Web of Science publications by field of research, Mathematics represents 2.1% of the total worldwide scientific production, while Physics accounts for 8.8%, giving a total of 10.9% for Physics and Mathematics combined - over 1,547,187 publications in the period 2005-2010. In South East Europe, Mathematics is 3.5% of the total scientific production, while Physics is 9.6% - bringing the total for Physics and Mathematics to 13.1%. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 47005: Research and Development of the Platform for Science Based Management of the Scientific and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia]

The subject of the research is the access to public procurement in Western Balkan region by SMEs including a gender equality perspective. The research has three key objectives: to identify key barriers that hinder the engagement in public procurement; to determine whether there are differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to access to public procurement between male and female-owned companies; and to check whether there are differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to participate in public procurement between different-sized companies. Main statistical methods used in the research are descriptive statistics and nonparametric techniques for comparing differences between groups. As the most significant barrier in the domain of discriminatory barriers sorted out is Limitations related to the financial capacity of the company. At the second place is Limitations related to the number of employees and their qualifications. The importance of Restrictions on production volume or quantity required and Meeting quality standards is somewhat weaker compared to the aforementioned barriers. Generally speaking, discriminatory barriers are of moderate importance for inclusion in the public procurement. Similar results were obtained when non-discriminatory barriers were observed, with the greatest significance in order: Complicated bidding process, Short deadline for preparation of documentation, Insufficient and incomplete information in the public procurement invitation. The results of the applied nonparametric techniques show that there are no significant differences in the perception of the importance of barriers to participate in public procurement between male and female-owned companies, as well as between different-sized companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a great impact on the business activities of the women entrepreneurs. Pandemic protection measures taken to reduce health risks as well as the introduction of restrictive measures have influenced the changes in the scope, manner and organization of business in most small and medium enterprises, including those (co) owned and managed by women. Considering that the previous researches showed that women bore the greatest burden of this crisis, the aim of the study was to gain insight into the effects of the pandemic on women's businesses as well as balancing between business and family responsibilities of women entrepreneurs in the changed circumstances. The research was conducted through an online survey on a sample of 93 respondents (women entrepreneurs in Serbia). The results showed that 76% of women-owned companies were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that women replaced the lack of hours spent at work with work at home and care of family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the available literature on theory of innovation and the data processed from the official research on innovation activities in Serbian firms, this paper shows different perspectives of usage of the innovation activities indicators. The results showed that firms involved in software sector are more innovative than firms in agrofood sector. On the basis of the research conducted in this paper, it is possible to draw conclusions which are significant to the management of enterprises in observed industries. According to these recommendations, innovative enterprises management could respond to problematic situation of business economy in the field of innovation management through adequate business strategies. Besides that, empirical research in innovative activities in Serbia in the two observed sectors yield a serious analytic framework to guide industrial policy and employ appropriate measures in order to improve national competitiveness based on knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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